As work continues on the second-floor Hall of Governors, the recent addition of a mammoth portrait of Gov. George Clinton outside the double doors leading into the chamber is going to make it much less likely that spot will be able to accommodate the sort of crush of protesters that the Capitol has seen in recent years — especially 2011’s budget season.

Meanwhile, there’s now a large Christmas tree in the center of the adjacent War Room, where Occupy Albany held a recent general assembly and plans to hold another oneat 5:45 p.m. Monday. The tree, put in place last week over the weekend, will damp down the theater-in-the-round quality of the assemblies, but will make them seem a lot more seasonal.

This could be an eventful week for Occupy Albany, which is meeting today with city officials after being told that the demo will need to spiff up its Academy Park encampment or face immediate eviction, and the city’s decision to inform the protesters that overnight camping won’t be allowed after Dec. 22. Combine that with the return of the Legislature to the Capitol for the first time since the Occupy movement began, and you have ample motive and opportunity for street or indoors political action.

This is the first time in several years that the War Room has sported a tree.

Update: OGS spokeswoman Heather Groll corrected me on the installation of the tree: It arrived last week, and was donated by farmers from around the state along with other greenery that will be seen around the Capitol and the Governor’s Mansion. The donation reminds New Yorkers to buy local when spiffing up the house for the holidays.

Here’s OGS’ release:

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine and Office of General
Services Commissioner RoAnn Destito today welcomed several New York State Christmas tree
growers to the Capitol where they donated trees and wreaths to decorate the Capitol and
Executive Mansion for the holiday season. The trees will be displayed in the Governor’s
Reception Room on the second floor of the Capitol and in the public space on the first floor of
the Executive Mansion where they will be enjoyed by those touring the historic home. The
wreaths will be displayed on the doors of the Executive Mansion and at the Governor’s offices in
Albany and New York City. The New York State products were donated by farmers from
Pleasant Valley, Johnstown, and Marion.

“The holidays are time for family and tradition. Families gathering for the holidays
should enjoy the presence of a fresh, natural New York Christmas tree in their home,” said
Commissioner Aubertine. “Christmas tree growing is a very important part of New York’s
agriculture economy. It creates jobs and economic activity in many of our agricultural
communities. I encourage all New Yorkers to buy a real New York tree this holiday season. It’s
easy for New Yorkers to buy local or even to enjoy a cut-your-own family day in the country
with information about tree farms on the State’s website: http://www.agriculture.ny.gov “

“Governor Cuomo has made it clear that agriculture is one of New York’s important
economic drivers and the Christmas tree industry not only exemplifies the diversity of New York
agriculture but the indirect benefits it provides such as tourism and rural outdoor activities,”
Office of General Services Commissioner, RoAnn Destito, said. “These beautiful trees and
wreaths are representative of the expertise of New York State farmers, and I am honored that we
are able to showcase them in this historic building as we continue our work to make the Capitol
more accessible to all our citizens.”

Robert Brown, Executive Director of the Christmas Tree Farmers Association of New
York and tree farmer from Norfolk, said, “The Christmas Tree Farmers Association of New
York is very honored to present real New York Christmas trees to Governor Cuomo, which were
sourced locally by Bilmar Nursery in Pleasant Valley from Franke’s Nursery in Marion and
wreaths from Goderie’s Tree Farm in Johnstown. Our association has approximately 400
members that are proud to be part of New York’s real green industry. Christmas trees are truly a
renewable resource that keeps giving long after the holiday season.”

The Turkish Firs were graciously donated to New York State by W. Brant Rawls. Mr.
Rawls, who operates Bilmar Nurseries in Pleasant Valley (Dutchess County), was named the
2011 New York State Grand Champion by the Christmas Tree Farmers Association of New York
at the State Fair in Syracuse. Mr. Rawls earned the honor of donating the trees by being named
State Grand Champion. He said he chose the 20 year-old, 13-foot being displayed in the Capitol
and the 17 year-old, 11-foot tree in the Executive Mansion as the perfect fit for these historic
buildings. The trees were grown by Doug and Kendra Franke, owners of Franke’s Nursery in the
Town of Marion (Wayne County).

The wreaths were graciously donated to New York State by Peter Goderie, owner of
Goderie’s Tree Farm in Johnstown (Fulton County).

New York Christmas tree farms offer a wide variety of real Christmas trees. Fraser Firs
and Balsam Firs are the most popular varieties in New York State, while White and Blue Spruce,
Scotch Pine, and other firs, such as Canaan, Douglas, Concolour, and others are available as
well. Many local Christmas tree farms also offer fresh roping, swags and wreaths along with
handmade crafts for Christmas.

Locally grown and harvested trees, when watered properly, can remain fresh in your
home well past New Year’s Day. To be sure that your Christmas tree was grown in New York,
consumers can look for the ‘Pride of New York’ emblem. The Pride of New York emblem
signifies products that are grown or made in New York State. Follow these guidelines to keep
your real Christmas tree fresh throughout the holiday season:

1. After you bring the tree home, cut one-quarter inch off the base of the trunk. Keep the
tree outdoors in a container of water and protect it from the wind and sun until you’re
ready to decorate. This helps the tree retain moisture.

2. Before you bring the tree into your home, make another fresh cut a minimum of onequarter
inch off the base of the trunk. This reopens the tree stem so it can take water
immediately. Place it in a stand with fresh water. Do not allow the water level to drop
below the fresh cut or the stem will reseal.

3. Trees may drink from 2 pints to 1 gallon of water a day. Use a stand with 1-gallon
capacity or more. Keep your tree away from drying heat sources such as sunny windows,
hot air ducts and fireplaces. Check the water level daily and supply fresh water as needed.
Christmas trees provide numerous environmental and economic benefits.

Christmas tree farms use land that might otherwise be developed as its soil is not often suited for typical
agricultural crops. They help stabilize soil and protect local water supplies. They also absorb
carbon dioxide and other gases. One acre of Christmas trees emits enough oxygen for 18 people.
Economically, Christmas trees provide an additional income for farmers and rural
landowners. They also create seasonal jobs and serve as an economic stimulus for local
communities, offering not only trees, but wreaths and a tourism opportunity.

Christmas trees also help prevent the introduction of invasive plant pests. New York
trees take 7 to 10 years to grow and must be maintained in excellent health because they must be
aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Trees grown under such conditions are naturally resistant to
insects and diseases. By purchasing a locally grown Christmas tree, there is little chance of
introducing new pests to the area or spreading pests from one area to another.

Christmas trees are also considered a renewable resource, as they are typically chipped
and recycled as mulch after the season. They may also be placed outside following the holiday
season and used as shelter for small birds and mammals, and later chipped and recycled in the
spring.

According to the 2007 U.S. Census of Agriculture, New York ranks seventh nationally
for Christmas tree production with approximately 1,000 Christmas tree growers, utilizing more
than 20,000 acres across the State and harvesting nearly 350,000 trees annually.
To find a Christmas tree farm in your area, visit the New York State Department of
Agriculture and Markets website at: http://www.agriculture.ny.gov or the Pride of New York
website at http://www.prideofny.com/member_search.asp. On both of these websites, you’ll be
able to search a region or county for all the local Christmas tree farms in your area.

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Capitol Confidential gathers the best coverage of New York politics and puts it all together. Each section - Capitol, The State Worker, New York on the Potomac, and Voices - represents a unique facet of the political scene. The Capitol section features coverage from the Times Union Capitol bureau. The State Worker is dedicated to state worker issues. New York on the Potomac offers news of interest to New Yorkers from Washington. And Voices features the best of everything else, pointing you to columnists and bloggers from across the Web.